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Ford C-MAX, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

105,612 Ford C-MAX cars are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 66.4% of initial MOT tests, 5.9 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific C-MAX? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Ford C-MAX at the MOT

66.4% of 116,414 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the C-MAX 411th of 575 models. Ford C-MAX cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 84.3% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 60.1%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Ford C-MAX66.4%
  • All Ford modelsThe C-MAX is 2.4 pts behind68.8%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Ford C-MAX tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years1,315 tests84.3%
  • 6 to 10 years43,127 tests76.3%
  • 11 years and over71,971 tests60.1%

Where C-MAX cars fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Ford C-MAX tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment27.9%
  • Suspension18.2%
  • Tyres15.7%
  • Brakes13.5%
  • Body, chassis, structure6.9%

The items testers recorded most often were brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (4.9%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.8%) and position lamp not working (4.6%).

The MOT page lists every common C-MAX MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Ford C-MAX MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The C-MAX's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.27.9% of C-MAX failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.18.2% of C-MAX failure items

  3. Tyres

    Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.15.7% of C-MAX failure items

Ford C-MAX cars in the UK

105,612 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 38% since the end of 2014, and 42% from its peak of 182,805 at the end of 2017.

Change since 2014
−38%from 170,318 licensed
Typical year of first use
2013half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2013 or earlier
First registered in 2025
6against 12,146 in 2015
Declared off the road
8,6477.6% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Ford C-MAX cars since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 2014170,318
End of 2015177,359
End of 2016182,421
End of 2017182,805
End of 2018177,785
End of 2019169,410
End of 2020158,920
End of 2021149,368
End of 2022139,921
End of 2023130,516
End of 2024120,407
End of 2025110,972
End of June 2026105,612

How old they are

Licensed Ford C-MAX cars by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 98 were first used before 2004.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20192,5602,684
20184,7204,998
20177,9368,473
201610,41311,141
201511,08212,146
201412,220
201313,037
201210,224
20119,439
20104,958
20094,281
20087,697
20075,302
20063,089
20051,853
20041,224

11,082 C-MAX cars first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 91% of the 12,146 first registered that year.

C-MAX engines and fuel

1.6 litre engines made up 50% of Ford C-MAX MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 16%. Petrol accounts for 51% of licensed C-MAX cars and diesel for 49%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 116,398 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 1.6 litre50.1%
  • 2.0 litre15.8%
  • 1.0 litre13.9%
  • 1.5 litre12.1%
  • 1.8 litre8.1%

Fuel type, licensed C-MAX cars

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol53,76251%
Diesel51,83549%
Other fuels15<0.1%

Ford C-MAX recalls

11 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Ford C-MAX. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every C-MAX is affected.

  1. Dec 2024 R/2025/094

    X-Car Powertain Control Module (PCM) Software Update

    C-MAX cars built Jan 2015 to May 2019 · 155,855 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles may develop a crack in the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).
    Remedy
    Update software to prevent a cracked DPF. Test and replace DPFs that are already cracked.

  2. Nov 2019 R/2019/334

    Seat belt anchorage bolt partially engaged

    C-MAX cars built May 2019 to Sep 2019 · 11 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Seat belt anchors and seat bolts may not be secured as per specification
    Remedy
    Check tighten and torque all identified bolts to specification

  3. Feb 2019 R/2018/351

    Vehicle could suffer clutch pressure plate fracture

    C-MAX cars built Jun 2016 to Apr 2018 · 66,497 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    A number of vehicles fitted with a 1.0 1.5 or 1.6 Ecoboost engine and 6-speed manual transmission could suffer clutch pressure plate fracture. This results in clutch smell reduced vehicle speed and performance. In the unlikely event of clutch pressure plate fracture a noise (thud / bang) could be heard from the vicinity of the transmission in extreme cases resulting in clutch / transmission fragments being released and striking under hood components creating a risk of smoke and fire from the under hood area.
    Remedy
    To prevent the repeated heating /cooling events a new calibration has been developed for vehicles fitted with Engine Stop Start feature. The software with the additional feature sets the Instrument panel Wrench light and de-rates the engine performance if prolonged clutch slip is detected. The software feature includes a drive cycle strategy for latching the wrench light and engine performance de-rate if the customer should experience repeated clutch slip events. For vehicles that do not have Engine Stop Start feature an alternative clutch kit has been released.

  4. Jul 2018 R/2018/082

    Clutch pressure plate may fracture

    C-MAX cars built Aug 2012 to Jun 2016 · 122,199 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles fitted with a 1.0 1.5 or 1.6 Ecoboost engine and 6-speed manual transmission could suffer clutch pressure plate fracture. This results in clutch smell reduced vehicle speed and performance. In the unlikely event of clutch pressure plate fracture a noise (thud / bang) could be heard from the vicinity of the transmission in extreme cases resulting in clutch / transmission fragments being released and striking under hood components creating a risk of smoke and fire from the under hood area.
    Remedy
    To prevent the repeated heating /cooling events a new calibration has been developed for vehicles fitted with Engine Stop Start feature. The software with the additional feature sets the Instrument panel Wrench light and de-rates the engine performance if prolonged clutch slip is detected. The software feature includes a drive cycle strategy for latching the wrench light and engine performance de-rate if the customer should experience repeated clutch slip events. For vehicles that do not have Engine Stop Start feature an alternative clutch kit has been released.

  5. Mar 2018 R/2018/011

    Casting defect may cause alloy wheel(s) to crack

    C-MAX cars built Sep 2016 to Oct 2016 · 80 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    A small batch of alloy wheels may have a casting defect that may initiate a fatigue crack and result in wheel failure.
    Remedy
    Check wheels on affected vehicles for a specific batch code. Replace those wheels which have the identified batch code.

  6. Mar 2018 R/2018/053

    Oil sump may crack due to the engine overheating

    C-MAX cars built Dec 2014 to Aug 2015 · 48,595 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The engine control module calibration may not adequately detect an overheat condition in certain 2.0L Duratorq Diesel engines. In extreme cases an overheated engine can result in a breach of the oil sump leading to loss of the engine oil.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and download revised software for the control module calibration that improves overheat detection and provides an instrument cluster warning indicator to the driver and engine de-rate strategy.

  7. Jan 2018 R/2018/008

    The engine cylinder head may crack

    C-MAX cars built Jun 2010 to Dec 2014 · 15,228 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Localized overheating of the engine cylinder head may cause the cylinder head to crack.This may cause a pressurized oil leak which in extreme circumstances could result in a fire in the engine compartment.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles Inspect engine and cooling system. Replace affected components and fit a Coolant Level Sensor along with associated software to provide and audible and visual warning to the driver.

  8. Sep 2017 R/2017/241

    Side and/or knee airbag may fail to deploy in a collision

    C-MAX cars built Jul 2016 to Nov 2016 · 1,943 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The airbag initiator may be defective and may prevent the side airbag(s) and/or knee airbag deploying in the event of an accident. In a collision the airbags not deploying could put the occupants at further risk.
    Remedy
    Recall the 1943 vehicles that are likely to be affected to check and where necessary replace the side and knee protection airbags complete with initiators.
How to check a specific C-MAX for recalls

C-MAX vs similar cars

Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.

Other Ford models

The most-tested Ford models in 2025, against the C-MAX's 66.4% MOT pass rate.

All 27 Ford models

Ford C-MAX FAQs

How many Ford C-MAX cars are there in the UK?

105,612 Ford C-MAX cars were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 8,647 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Ford C-MAX reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 66.4% first-time pass rate for the Ford C-MAX across 116,414 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Ford C-MAX had any recalls?

11 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Ford C-MAX. The most recent was published in December 2024. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Ford C-MAX?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and tyres. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Ford C-MAX's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a C-MAX?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Ford history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Ford VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.